Russia blocks UN statement calling for North Korea sanctions

07 Julio 2017

Russia declined to support a UN Security Council statement condemning North Korea's recent missile launch, insisting the missile was intermediate range, not intercontinental.

Yet, North Korea achieving miniaturization and passing that on to Iran would get Iran over the greatest major obstacle it has not solved for firing a nuclear missile, as opposed to a conventional missile.

Pointing out that a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the only option, he added, "And that is why I emphasize the fact that now is the last chance and also the best chance for North Korea to make the right choice".

"Any attempts to justify a military solution are inadmissible and will lead to unpredictable consequences for the region", warned Safronkov.

U.N. diplomats say Russia has blocked U.N. Security Council approval of a statement that would strongly condemn North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile and renew a pledge to take "further significant measures".

US officials joined South Korea and Japan in requesting an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

The U.S. has already blacklisted one Chinese bank accused of illicit dealings with North Korea and is penalizing a Chinese shipping company and two Chinese individuals accused of facilitating illegal activities by the North. U.S. officials say they plan to look at other Chinese entities as possible targets of so-called secondary sanctions.

"Therefore we are not in a position to agree to this classification on behalf of the whole council since there is no consensus on this issue", the email said.

He sees a risk that Kim could build enough missiles to overwhelm US defenses - and that one could slip through the defensive net in a phenomenon known as 'leakage'.

The Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system - installed at Fort Greely, about 100 miles outside Fairbanks in Alaska, and California's Vandenberg Air Force Base - will comprise 44 missile interceptors by the end of the year.

While in Berlin, the South Korean leader also said he was ready to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at any time and any place to discuss any issue related to establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Their latest protest was made earlier this week when Xi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia.

The summit slated for Friday and Saturday comes amid heightened tensions after the communist North test fired what it claimed to be its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Tuesday.

Since taking office in May, Moon has been trying to improve strained ties with North Korea, but his efforts has produced little progress with the North testing a series of newly developed missiles.

While this is debatable, assume for one moment that North Korea transfers its ICBM technology to Iran tomorrow. That is different than traveling at 15,000 miles per hour in space. Although such an achievement seemed improbable not long ago, it was all but inevitable. "I value the relations with China".

The Trump administration confirmed that North Korea launched an ICBM. But these are designed to protect against a regional threat and would have limited effect against an ICBM.

At the start of a visit Thursday to NATO headquarters, Abe referred to North Korea's missile development and territorial disputes in the East and South China seas.